guitarpartsresource.com ?

[ezrydr]

Hey Guys, does anyone have any experience with these guys?

I order pickguard material from them a several weeks ago and everything went fine.

I placed another order with them a few weeks ago and the stuff took 2 weeks to arrive. One of the items was wrong and I have been trying to contact them for the last several days.

Their phone machine says to leave a message and they'll call back. I've left several messages explaining that I want to get my order straightend out but no one has returned my call yet.

I tried to call them again this morning hoping to get someone and while leaving another message the line got disconnected. When I tried to call back it just kept ringing until I got a very loud unpleasant tone. I hung up and tried caliing back, this time the line was busy. I tried again and then I got a message saying my privacy code was not correct.

I think I smell a rat but before I jump to any conclusions I wanted to see if anyone else here on the forum has any opinions of this outfit.

Thanks,
Steve

[ajgus]

I think I've ordered something from off of ebay. I can't remember what though. I don't recall it being a negative experience.

[nasonm]

I have bought some parts from them before with no problems. Take that for it's worth.

[geddins]

I bought some Les Paul knobs from them...great product and good service...not all that "talkative", but efficient...I'll give 'em another shot at my biz.

[Easydog]

bought a brass nut that was useless. like you got no response. have since flushed that turd and now do business elsewhere.

[Grin'n'pick]

Used them lots of times with no complaints. I like 'em (especially as they have flat-rate cheap shipping across the Atlantic!).

[Gibson]

I've used them twice. The first time was great, exactly what i ordered and super-fast international delivery. The second time, they canceled my order without explanation, and didn't reply when I emailed them to find out the problem.

It was a shame, but in the end I just went with another supplier.

I guess they have good and bad days down in Ohio?

[ajgus]

Yeah, I seem to recall that their communication wasn't the best but I got what I ordered & it was as described, so...

[jimd]

I've used them a few times. I'll probably do it again. I just got an order from them. It was the first where I didn't get exactly what I wanted. I ordered Gotoh tuners with Schaller style buttons. I got the regular ones instead. Since, I was on the fence about which ones to buy anyway, it wasn't a big deal. On the good side I emailed to ask whether a particular strat pickguard and back plate matched (I know I'm anal). I got a quick response to the affirmative. I ordered them and they matched perfectly.

[boris bubbanov]

I like to able to talk to the vendor.

These guys never returned my calls, never responded to my fax requests for information.

But I'd lived in Reynoldsburg right down Highway 40 as a kid, so I submitted a fax order and everything shipped just so, no complaints.

I'm gonna call up some of my contacts in Franklin County and have my buddies pay the storefront a visit. I'm kind of a hermit myself these days, but I really don't think you can actively grow or maintain your retail business that way. I have this image of women or girls with no interest in guitars being hired to fill these orders, automatons as it were. I'd rather give someone oriented towards music and making things the work.

[ajgus]

I'm suprised there aren't any "new members" chiming in about how great this company is...hee, hee.

[Doug Ferguson]

I haven't ordered as much from them as from other vendors, especially guitarfetish and StewMac, but each time I got what I ordered. I recall only one delay in shipping. I've never needed to contact, so can't speak from experience about their customer service -- though from what I've been reading here, it seems to need some improvement.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by ajgus

I'm suprised there aren't any "new members" chiming in about how great this company is...hee, hee.

That's just it. I think a lot of these 'vendors' are heavily hyped. GPR does nothing to promote themselves, the opposite of hype. I'd be shocked if anyone actually from GPR even responded.

[Brian blaut]

I order from them here and there. I just recieved an order yesterday in fact. But I never had to deal with customer service, which apparently isn't their strongest side. Too bad. There are many choices when you decide to buy online. I don't usually bother with companies that don't put proper emphasis on customer service.

[Guitar_Ninja]

I've ordered from them a few times and never had any problems with the orders themselves. Though back in the fall I placed an order with them and when it got to the paypal checkout page it listed shipping as $9, whereas the website itself had a page stating that international shipping was a flat $6. I emailed them about this discrepancy. They never responded to my email but the next day the website had been changed to remove any mention of the $6 flat fee. I thought it was pretty lame that they'd change the website but not even inform the person who emailed them about it. I had a feeling if I'd emailed again they would have responded with, "no it doesn't say that anywhere on the website..."

[mistermullens]

I've used them a couple of times and everything went very well. I have heard that they're fine as long as they get the order right the first time. I've heard many stories like yours from others.

[ajgus]

I've found that if you don't tell any distributer exactly what you want, how you want it or if you change your mind or add any other specifics...thats when problems can occur. Don't assume that they will communicate well. That's your job (unfortunately, yours alone).

[daddyopapa]

I've used them 3 times with flawless service to Canada.

[romo]

I ordered from them once. They were alright.

[ezrydr]

well some of you have confirmed my suspicions.

I have tried to call them a couple more times today and where before I got their cheery voice mail saying they would be happy to return the call if you left a number, now all I get is either a loud and obnoxious BEEEP or after a dozen rings a message comes on to tell me that I do not have a valid privacy code. I guess that means they blocked my number.

I want to be clear that I was in no way rude to these folks. Every message I left was simple and polite, requesting a return phone call so I could get the order straightened out.I told them I would be happy to pay any restocking fees, shipping, whatever. I just wanted some help and to get the correct part. I ordered the wrong thing and I fully admitted that on my messages.
I certainly gave them no reason to block my calls!
That just seems so weird to me.

I can see someone doing that if they were being harassed but I just don't get this.
How on earth can you do business like that?

Apparently they do not need my business.

I have a lot of hobbies and do a lot of online business and I have to say this is the strangest case of poor customer service, or lack of, that I've run into.

Its a shame because they seem to have a good selection of products at good prices.

I have now emailed them and I guess I'll see if that gets any response.

I am not optimistic.

Ya know its really not the money that bothers me as much as the fact that I feel like I've been taken. I gave them my money in good faith and they have no interest in helping me.

Buyer Beware!

Steve

[kingnimrod]

I've dealt with them twice. First time was alright.

The second time I dealt with an EXTREMELY RUDE woman on the phone. It was obvious that they have no interest in customer service.

I'd say go elsewhere.

[zane]

Originally Posted by ajgus

I'm suprised there aren't any "new members" chiming in about how great this company is...hee, hee.

not a new member...but... I've ordered from them many times...always got my order within a few days never had any problems whatsoever...

[boris bubbanov]

I hadn't been seeing some of the products GPR stocks available elsewhere, but I've found a dealer in South Louisiana who I like; I think he can get me the stuff for pretty near the same price. I'll just buy the stuff there.

[bowlfreshener]

I just ordered from them through eBay on Monday night, and it should be here tomorrow ([Thursday] according to tracking info), so I don't have any complaints about them so far.

[ezrydr]

Boris, care to share the name and or web site of that dealer?

[ezrydr]

Bowlfreshener,
what is their seller name on eBay that you are buying from?

I looked up seller id 'guitarpartsresource' on ebay and they have 0 items for sale. Looked at their feedback and it looks like there hasn't been any feedback since 2004.

Steve